Deck 15: The Transitional Developed Countries

Question 1

Which of the following are examples of postcommunist developed countries?

A) Afghanistan, China, Czech Republic
B) Croatia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam
C) Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland
D) Albania, Hungary, Serbia
E) Albania, China, Romania

Answer 1

Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland

Question 2

Which of the following is a considerable threat to stability in many of the postcommunist developed countries?

A) Nationality conflicts
B) Interstate trade disputes
C) Restrictions on the flow of capital
D) The role of the Communist Party
E) Overpopulation

Answer 2

Nationality conflicts

Question 3

Currently, among the postcommunist developed countries, Freedom House classifies

A) a substantial majority as "free."
B) a slight majority as "free."
C) a slight majority as "not free."
D) a substantial majority as "not free."
E) The majority as "partly free."

Answer 3

a substantial majority as "free."

Question 4

Which of the following is a key element of the NIC economic strategy?

A) Reliance on a command political economy
B) Import-oriented trade
C) Cooperation between firms and the government
D) Governmental support for labor unions
E) Foreign direct investment

Question 5

In South Korea, chaebols refers to

A) state subsidies to farmers.
B) individuals' acceptance of the state's authority.
C) discipline in the workforce.
D) traditional loyalty to family.
E) large, diversified firms.

Question 6

The governments of the Asian NICs have emphasized considerably more than .

A) individuality, collectivism
B) political participation, acquiescence
C) foreign policy, domestic policy
D) investment, consumption
E) consumption, savings

Question 7

Security concerns regarding potential danger from a militarily powerful neighbor are especially significant in

A) South Korea.
B) Brazil.
C) Hungary.
D) Slovenia.
E) Chile.

Question 8

Among the wealthiest NICs (in GDP per capita PPP) in Latin America are

A) Brazil and Venezuela.
B) Argentina and Chile.
C) Brazil and Uruguay.
D) Uruguay and Venezuela.
E) Costa Rica and Uruguay.

Question 9

In many NICs, current trends toward political democratization have also generated substantial

A) economic growth.
B) ethnonationalism.
C) citizen satisfaction with political leaders.
D) corruption.
E) forces of instability.

Question 10

Which of the following occurred in most postcommunist developed countries in the transition period after 1990?

A) A substantial increase in real income
B) A substantial decline in literacy
C) A substantial increase in absolute poverty
D) Substantial productivity increases
E) A substantial reduction in violent crime

Question 11

A postcommunist developed country that did NOT experience a "democratic revolution" is

A) Romania.
B) Slovakia.
C) Poland.
D) Hungary.
E) Estonia.

Question 12

The tolerance of public discussion and criticism of the political, economic, and social system within the Soviet Union during its final years is referred to as

A) the silent revolution.
B) gradual democratization.
C) perestroika.
D) nostrovia.
E) glasnost.

Question 13

According to the Compare in 15 on "Kappa", "Lambda", and "Mu", what social indicator was essentially unchanged across the three systems?

A) Government type
B) Inflation
C) Literacy rate
D) Income inequality
E) Crime rate

Question 14

A basic assumption in communist political regimes was that

A) stability + education = development.
B) military power + order = prosperity.
C) prosperity + equality = stability.
D) bread - vodka = instability.
E) order + liberty = prosperity.

Question 15

The majority of former Warsaw Pact members among the postcommunist developed countries

A) have called for an end to the use of nuclear weapons.
B) have broken diplomatic relations with Russia.
C) have joined NATO.
D) have banned the Communist Party.
E) have formed the Central European Pact.

Question 16

The group of postcommunist developed countries that are nearing the profile of the developed countries in terms of economic development and democratization does NOT include

A) the Czech Republic.
B) Hungary.
C) Russia.
D) Estonia.
E) Slovenia.

Question 17

According to the Acid Test II in Compare in 15, the lowest proportion of people in poverty occurred in

A) Kappa (the Soviet Union, 1989).
B) Lambda (Russia, 1999).
C) Mu (Russia, 2009).
D) The poverty rate was low in both Kappa and Mu.
E) The poverty rate was about the same in all three.

Question 18

"Order and Progress" is the motto of

A) Brazil.
B) Malaysia.
C) Russia.
D) Venezuela.
E) South Korea.

Question 19

Antagonism to the neoliberal model is especially associated with

A) Vladimir Putin.
B) Augusto Pinochet.
C) Hugo Chavez.
D) the leaders of most PCDCs.
E) the leaders of most Asian NICs.

Question 20

The most notable conventional war involving a Latin American NIC in the period since 1950 was fought by

A) Chile.
B) Uruguay.
C) Venezuela.
D) Brazil.
E) Argentina.

Question 21

Write a dialogue between a Communist Party member and a reformer regarding whether the countries of the former Soviet bloc are likely to be better off during the first decade of the twenty-first century than they were during the 1980s.

Question 22

Compare the most critical forces of instability facing the two groups of countries (PCDCs and NICs) analyzed in Chapter 15. To what extent can these forces be mitigated by similar policies?

Question 23

The taxonomic category of "NICs" is ambiguous. Develop and explain appropriate criteria for classifying NICs. These criteria should enable the analyst to assess whether other developing countries should now be included among the NICs and whether certain NICs (e.g., Slovenia, South Korea) should be upgraded to be included among the developed countries.